Steering-wheel mechanism for automobiles



Sept; 9, w24.v

J. R. GRIFFITH STEERING WHEEL MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES .l Filed oct. 11, I192i '2 shun-sheen 1 Sept. 9, 1924. l 1,507,672

J. R. GRIFFITH STEERING WHEEL MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Oct. ll 1921 Patented Sept. 9, 192,4.

` UNITED STA JACOB R. GRIF Application ledOctober 11, 1921. Serial No. 507,015.

FITH, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. i

Fica.

To all whom t may concern: upwardly and the upper part reversed inf Be it known that I, JACOB R. GRIFFITH, a position. A A citizen of the United States of America, ref Figure lis a transverse sectional viewof siding at Kansas City, in the county of the spindle supporting the st eeringwheel V Jackson and State of Missouri, have in'- yand locking sleeve taken on line 4, 4, on

in Steering vented certain new and useful Improvements Fig. 2.

-lVheel Mechanism foi- Autoigure 5 is a det-ail sectional view ofpor-v mobiles; and l do hereby declare that the tions ofthe separate caps atjthe'hubfoffthe following is a full, clear, and exact descripsteering wheel showing the l i tion lof the invention, reference being'had with the locking sleeve.

drawings, forming a lgure 6` is a detail side View of the4 lock!` 65 to the accompanying part of this specification. ingblt showing the llocking'tumbler' and'V The invention has vfor its object- Means for preventing the surreptitious removal of means of protection positioned within an unlockedv steering Vtaken on line 7.-7 onI Figure Qshowin'gthe l70 wheel and the subsequent starting of .the gear pinions, and f automobile by substitute devices.

First:

Second carby thieving operators.

Means whereby the' locked podrawings.

Third: locking bolt controls the lock- Referring"Yv to the drawings, 10 indicates.

sition of the ing key and Fourth unlocked po tingent u tumbler. 4

The invention consists in thenovel coning post. p

Figure 2 is a verticalsectional View of the steering wheel and locking parts mount- Y described. ,i y y ed on the upper end ofthe actuatingspindle Upon the upper end of the steering shaft owing the novelV '10 is formed integral therewith a series of to the steering mechanism, sh

'7, which support locking parts and also showing the gear 'radial plates 15, see Fig. A v easing in section and the gear'on the steerthe planetary train of gear 16517 andy 1 8,

ing shaft of an automobile and` the novel each fgearhaving -a pivot post 16,` 17 ,.18" 100 4their protection and also showing respectively, connected rigidly with the said the upper end portion of the steering post radial plates 15 near their youter evdges y j and gas and spark ignition levers, the View Upon the steering gear driving' spindle 1 9 'Y being taken on line -2-2 in Fig. l, the lock vis a sleeve 20, shrunk on said spindleso asl casing being in full lines showingthe key to 'form an immovable part and o n 'the`105' means for @easing g and unlocking ad centers; al sectional view.

' igureB is a detailperspective view of' Means for preventing vthe surthelockcylinder carried by the steering reptitious Vremoval of the gear enclosing wheel. l y i f y1@ shell on the steering shaft for'starting the Similar numeralsof reference vindicate corresponding parts in all the figures ofther"l 'the steering shaft to an automobile andf'l?l Means whereby thelocked and the ordinary stationary postuponan1 a"i'ito` 80 sitions of a lockingbolt is eonymobile -throi'igh which 'the steering'sha-ft eX'- pon a dead centerv through key tends. 13 and lllrep'resent the gas feeding v and spark ignition leverswhich operate the admission ofthe liquid' vfuel 'to' 'the-fear? struction, and combination ofparts such as buretor and effect the ignitionofthe mixwill be `first fully described and then speture within the engine cylinders inthe usual cifica-lly pointed outin the claims.v manner.

In the drawings# Figure 1 n Upontheupper end ofthe steering shaft is .a `plan view" of the steering 10, which is hollow, is located the mechanism wheel of an automobile in position 'on the A,Coii'i'inoi'ily employedj'to impart rotary mo- 90 steering spindle mechanism showing vthe gas tion to said shaft and is' particularlycharacfeed and spark ignition levers ony the steer,- 'teristic ofthe `class of automobile styled the F ord automobile7 features of which mechanis the particular m will first be lower portion ofV said sleeve-fis; a' `ci rcular Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view ange or plate 21, Beneathfthje' circular taken on the line 3.-8 on Fig. 2, looking plate or flange 2l the `spindle 19 is lredu uied f downwardly a Vvthereto is the downwardly 'flange 27 on the horizontal circular cap upwardly the height in circumference at 22 and Aupon said lpart of the spindle is secured yrigidly a small pinion gear wheel 23, which engages with each gear wheel 1617 and 18 and imparts rotation thereto.

The said reduced portion 22 of the spindle extends downwardly within the upper end of the hollow steering shaft 10, of the automobile.

The circular plate 21', extends outwardly7 from sleeve 20 part way over each gear wheel, '16-17-18 and holds them in place upon their respective pivot posts. 1

Extending around the gear 16-17 and 18is a circular plate 24 upon the inner surface yof which are gear teeth 24 engaging with theteeth of the respective gear wheels.

l/Vith the lower portion of the plate 24, is connected integrally the outer upwardly curved portion 25 of a. circular plate 25 which extends horizontally and inwardly be-l neath the series of plates' 15, supporting the gear wheels 16-17 and 18 to within a short distance. of the steering shaft 19, and is connected rigidly with the upper end of a sleeve 26, extending around thesaid shaft 10, and short distance within the post 12. This plate forms the lower part of the gear casing. The circular plate 24 is externally screw threaded at 24X and fitted plate 28, this flange being internally screw threaded at 27', andwhich engages with the screw threads 24X on the circular plate '24 extending 'aro-und the gear 16-17 and 18.

The inner portion of the circular cap plate 28y is -connected integrallyv with the lower portion of a sleeve 29 extending closely around the sleeve 20, on the spindle 19 and of said sleeve 20.

The screw cap 28 which forms the upper part of the gear casing is connected fixedly with the flange 24, by the lower part by the screw 30, which extends downwardly within a screw threaded opening 30X in the cap plate 28, and thence within the screw thread ed portions of the flanges 24 and 27 of the said gear casing. l

The upper end of the spindle 19 isereduced in circumference and screw threaded at 19X and upon said end is fitted the nut 31.

In the rear portion of the spindlev 19 is a vertical groove 32, see Fig. 3.

In the attachment of the steering wheel to the spindle 19in the ordinary manner the key 33 secures said wheel fixedly to the spindle, and in. actuation of the wheel the spindle communicates, motion to the respective gearl wheels 16-17 and 18, and this motionis transmitted through the series of plates 15, to the steering shaft 10 to govern the direction of movement of the automobile, the steering wheel being, affixed to the spindle 19.

extended circular I ln carrying out my invention a sleeve 34 is made of considerable thickness to extend around the spindle 19, its lower inner portion being recessed from the slight outward projection 34, on the upper end of sleeve 29, downwardly and outwardly beneath its lower end and the upper surface of cap plate 28 to form an annular lspace 35. This sleeve 34 which forms a locking sleeve is brovi with a vertical groove 36, see Fig. 3, by

ded

means of which the key or spline 33 secures v the sleeve 34 rigidly to the spindle 19.

The upper portion of sleeve 34, which extends upwardly nearly to a position horizontal with the upper surface of the nut 31 is recessed at 37 to receive said nut.

Around the sleeve 34 extends an inde pendently movable sleeve 38, between which and the outer surface of sleeve 34 is formed an annular space 38, slightly wider `than the space 35, between the sleeves 29 and 34.

At the upper and lower ends of the locking sleeve 34, and sleeve 38, and in opposing 1 surfaces are anti friction ball races, the race at the lower endbeing shown in Fig. 4, consisting of a groove 40 in the inner surface of the sleeve 38, and a groove .41 in the opposing surface of sleeve 34 these grooves being in opposite position and concentric with the inner surfaces of said sleeves.

Within said races or grooves are a series of anti friction balls 42. These balls hold the sleeves 34 and 35 when the assembled parts of the wheel are together from removal.

In the upper portion of these sleeves 34 and 38 are like grooves in which are the anti friction rollers 42.`

In order to `introduce the anti friction balls within the grooves 40 and 41, an' open,- ing 43 is formed in the casing 38 from the outer surface inwardly to groove 40 slightly larger in circumference than the ball `42 and through which opening the balls. are introduced one by one to the groove.v

The opening 43 is screw threaded at 44,

and within said opening is fitted a screw plug 45, the inner end cof which plug is curved at 46 to correspond with .the curved surface of the groove 40 in the sleeve 38. Hence for two purposes the ball race is unL obstructed and the balls inserted and re.v moved with great facility and also lubri-'` 48 indicates the steering wheel of cated. the invention which consists of a hub 49 of considerable thickness in the apex of `which hub is a circular opening 50, which extends downwardly to the line lof the upper` ends of the sleeve 34 and 38.

Arms 51 and 52 extend radially from'the hub in one axial line of the hub 49 and arms 53 and 54 at right angles to said line and are rigidly connected at their outer ends with the rim member 55, of the wheel. Each arm. consists of' a metal top plate 51x,

61;. The key 7l is then turnedsoas to raise .the outer end of the controlling barff'above the dead c enterof the key cylinder-and fthe spring is ready toa'ct and as soon as the'.` opening'comes opposite the end 62 obolt 61, the bolt enters said opening and theavheela kandpin for actuating said bolt to operatively Withingthe hub 49, the key 7 1 being held is locked to the innersleeve-34, Which is Within the key cylinder froml removal, so

that should the automobile be left While the Wheel-is locked, no protection is afforded the careless driver, butcoincident With the iin-1. locking of the Wheel the driver has thekey of. the lock, which is a sure preventive of anyl attemptfto lock the Wheel by a false key.

I:Such-modilications may be employed as is n 'Within thescope of the appended claims. Y

Having lfully described my invention what I now claiinas neW and desire to/secure by Letters Patent'is,

fl. In ,an automobile,l and in combinationlwith its Vsteering mechanism, and steering Wheel, and With the hub o isaidl Wheel `hav-A ing an opening therein, and y'with separate` sleeves in saidv opening, and with meansv'for lockingfand unlocking the.. said'` Wheel With vhe separate sleeves,oity self retaining closures forthe openingV in the hub' att-achable to said sleeves. Q I Y i 2.1; In an automobile, `and in `combination with the steering mechanism, and its actuating, spindle, of asteering Wheel and its hub,

having an opening therein, andy separater sleeves in said opening havingdepressions inV their upper surfaces, one `of Which, sleeves is keyed tovsaid-'spindlaV and looking means to; *fboth sleeves and capsv Within said opening in said hub having-'hangedv adaptedto bei re-g tainedwithin the depressionin said sleeve.

steering mechanism, a "steering Wheel havin" a hub, a bolt casing, carried by said hub an having a longitudinal \sl ot,'.a` lock carriedby.

said Wheel, a sliding lholt yin the said casing, a c

y pin'xe'd to saidfboltandextending through said slot, and a connectionfbetiveen saidlock connect the saidfsteeringmechanism andy 4l. In a device ofthe .classidescribed, a f steering mechanism wherein a spindle iszein- 1 ployed, a sleeve keyed to said spindle,la cap a locking device .carried byjsaid Wheel and` `hub, asecond sleeve encircling the i'irst men` tioned sleeve and positioned Within said hub,

to be securedtheretoby said lockingdevice,`

and a, cap secured to the, second lmentioned slee-vev and closingwtheopening iin said hub,

said locking device providing meansior operatively connectingl said sleeves.

5. Ina device of the'characterdescribed, a y

steering mechanism wherein a spindle ii-ieiiriployed, a sleeve keyed to said spindle, asteerf` ing Wheel having a hub, a sleeve positioned Within said hub encirclingxthe irst v,mene

tioned sleeve, a bolt casing having a slot connecting the outer sleeve vto said hub, a lock :carried by said Wheel, a ysliding bolt linsaid casing,l a pin fixed to L said bolt extending through said slot, and a connection between ysaid lock and pin JforA actuating said bolt. to

operatively connect saidsleevesl (JACOB R; einemTn. 

